Return envelope and blank therefor



OCt. 18, 1932. BARTSCH 1,883,475

RETURN ENVELOPE AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed Jan. 2. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18, 1932.

B. F. BARTSCH RETURN ENVELOPE AND. BLANK THEREFOR Filed Jan. 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. .18, 1932 Units STATES;

BEATRICE E. BA 'rscH, E oHroAeo, ILLINOIS RETURN ENVELOPE AND "BLANK; THEREFOR- A pplication filed January 2 1931; Serial ms. 506,008."

This invention relates to mailing-envelopes,

having reference more particularly to atype of envelope known as a returnenvelope, which is structurally so designed that, after having been opened in the usual manner for removal of the original letter, it can be used.

and semi-transparent paperifdesired. An-

other object is to'provide an envelope of the character specified, wherein the forwarding address, which appears on thefront-of the "0 envelope when the letter isforwarded, may

serve. asthe senders address, appearing on, the back of the envel0pe,.when theenvelope and its enclosure are returned to the original 7 sender. A still further object is to provide an envelope of the type specified, wherein the operations of adjusting the structure to serve as a return envelope may be very easily and quicklyperformed.

Still other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art as the same become better understood by referencetofthe following description, taken i-nconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein; I 'have' illustrated one simple and practical'enibodiment of the invention, and in which Fig. l is a plan view of the blank fror'n'one,

side thereof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sameblank Fig. 4 is a plan viewshowing the lower,

Wardly over the upper wall.-

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the left upper triangular section ofthelower body Wall 457 body wall, with itsfoldedfiaps, folded upfolded inwardly and the left wing folded 7 p r 1 thewalllQisagummedsealingflap12,which 1 thereover.

Fig. 6 is a plan viewshowing-the right upper triangular section ofthe lower body wall folded inwardly, and the right wing folded thereover, and. also showing the looking tab, on the bottom of the right wing folded..ove-r the lower edge of the envelope and'pasted to the front wall thereof and the top sealing flap folded down; this view show-v ing the envelope ready to receive the original enclosure. I g 5 v Fig. 7 is a planview showing the upper sealing flap'torn'obliquely and the right upper triangular section ofthe lower body wall, with the overlying portion of the'right wing, unfolded outwardly, exposing the. return stamp andaddress lines. y

Fig. 8 is a plan View showing the left upper triangular section of the lower body wall and the overlying portion of the left wing similarly unfoldedoutwardly, fully exposing the To returnface of the envelope. V

. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but show-- ing the return sealing flap pulledout.

b ack Fig. 10 is.-a plan view showing the side of the re-folded and sealed envelope. 1 .7 0 Fig. 11 is an enlarged verticalcross-section through the envelope in its sending form, on

the line 11'-11 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 12 is a similar sectional view of the envelope in its return form, onthe line 1212 ofFig.9.. j' V 7 Referring first to Figs. land 2, which show the/blank from opposite sides, it may :be stated at the outset that the dotted lines shown in these figuresillustrate lines of fold. l0 designates the upper rectangular body wall, and 11 the lower rectangular body wall of the same dimensionsasthe upper wall. In the sending form of theenvelope the upper {wall 10 constitutes the" front wall and the lowerwall 11, folded totriangular form, constitutes mainly the rearwall; while in the return form of the envelope the wall 11, un-

"rearwall, as will hereinafter appear. These walls may carry,on the outer sides thereof,

dottedja'ddress lines and stamps, as shown in Fig. 2. Continuous with the upper edge of constitutes. the sealing flap of the envelope when carrying the original enclosure; and continuous with the lower edge of the body wall 11 is a gumined sealing flap 13, which constitutes the sealing flap of the envelope when carrying the reply enclosure. The uplength of the wall 10 and respectively designed to fold inwardly onthe dotted lines 0 and (Z respectively. Continuous with the ends of the lower body wall 11 are right and left narrow gumined flaps 16 and 17; and depending from the lower edge of the right wing 15 is a gummed locking tab 18.

To facilitate easy folding of the parts to the finished envelope form, the left and right wings 1'4 and 15 and the lower body wall 11 are preferably creased or scored along the oblique lines a and f, these lines intersecting slightly above the folding line b ,and the rei turn sealing flap 13 is similarly creased obliquely on the lines 6 and f, which, when the lower sealing fiap 13 is folded upwardly, register with and overlie the lower portions of the creased lines 6 and f, as shown in Fig. 3.

Assuining that the blank, as shown in Fig. 1, is laid on a flat surface, the folding operations, to produce the envelope inits original or sending form, are as'follows. The lower sealing flap 13 is first folded upwardly on the lower body wall 11, and the flaps 16 and 17 are then folded inwardly over the ends of the flap 13, with their gunnned sides uppermost, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower body wall 11 is then folded upwardly, on the fold line g onto and over the top bodywall 10. The structure as thus far formed is illustrated in Fig. 4.

Next, the upper left triangular section of the bottom wall 11 is folded inwardly on the line 0, the gummed side of the flap 16 is moistened, and the left wing 14 is then folded inwardly, the lower edge of said wing adhering to the flap 16, as shown in Fig. 5. Similarly, the upper right triangular section'of the wall 11 is folded inwardly, slightly overlapping the inwardly folded wing 14:, and exposing the gummed side of the flap 17, which latter is moistened, and the right wing 15 is then folded inwardly over the previous- 1y folded upper right triangular section of the wall 11, the lower edge of said wing adhering to the flap 17. The lockingtab 18 is then moistened and-folded over the lower edge of the envelope, adhering to the front wall 10 of thelatter. This produces the envelope in completed form for mailing the original letter or other enclosure. lVith the interior folded wall 11 which, at its upper portion, is overlaid by the central portion of the lower sealing flap 13, as shown in Fig. 11; the flap 12 is then sealed, and the letter is ready for mailing.

The purpose of having the oblique fold lines a and f intersect at a point inwardly of the lower edge of wall 11 is to shorten the height of said wall when the same is folded to overlie wall 10 and then folded obliquely on itself to the triangular form shown in Fig. 6, so that the slitting or cutting of the top edge of the envelope to release the enclosure will not affect the integrity of the back wall 11 and its sealing flap 13.

When the letter is received, the envelope is opened by either slitting or cutting the sealing flap 12 along the fold line a, and the enclosure withdrawn. To adjust the envelope to receive the return letter, the locking tab 18 is cut off at the bottom edge of the envelope, and the free edge portions of the upper right triangular section of the wall 11 and the overlyinglower triangular section of the Wing 15 are then grasped by the thumb and finger, and the portion of the sealing flap 12 which overlies and is pasted to the upper portions of the wings 1 1 and 15, as shown in Fig. 6, is torn obliquely on the line it, which permits the lower triangular section of the wing 15 and the underlying upper triangular section of the wall 11 to be laid back on the registering portions of the fold line 7, as shown in Fig. .7. By similarly grasping the free edge portions of the upper triangular section of the wall 11 and the overlying lower triangular section of the wing 14, these parts may be similarly laid back, fully exposing the return address lines and stamp, as shown in Fig. 8. The return sealing flap 13 is then pulled outwardly, as shown in Fig. 9, and the reply letter or other enclosure is then inserted either between the wall 11 and the triangular portions of the obliquely folded wings 14' and 1 5 or between the wall 10 and the said folded portions of the wings 1 and 15, the unfolded wall 11 then constituting the front wall of the return envelope. The return flap 13 is then sealed, asshown in 10, and the letter, addressed and stamped on the outer face of "the wall 11 is ready for mailing. I

The outer side of the return sealing flap 13 preferably carries the printed word From and, by reference to Fig. 10, it will be seen that this word appears directly above the original addressees name and address, thus making it unnecessary for the person replying to supply a return name and address on the back of the envelope.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the article of my invention not only does away .with the necessity on the part of the original sender of enclosing a stamped and addressed envelope for a reply, thus economizing both time and material, but the envelope may" be opened either by slitting or cutting in the customary manner without damage toithe contents, and it may then be converted into return form by simplymaking a short tear across the original sealing flap, unfolding the right and left folded sections on the back of the envelope, and then pulling outthe return sealing flap. And. while I' have shown and 7 described a specific form of the invention Well adapted to efiectuate the stated purposes 7 and objects thereof, 1 do not limit theinven itself obliquely to form a triangular wall of double thickness, and said wings being folded inwardly over said triangular wvall and at their loweredges adhered to said end flaps.

2. An envelope of the type described, com-' K prising front and back body walls, side wings formed as end extensions of said front wall,

end flaps on said back wall, and sealing flaps on the respective upper edges of said walls;

said back wall, with its end flaps and sealing flap folded inwardly thereon, being folded on itself on intersecting, oblique fold lines to thereby form atriangular wall of double thickness and of less height than said front wall, and said wings being folded inwardly upper wall, foldable end flaps on said lower wall,'an'd sealing flaps on the upper edge of said upper wall and the lower edge of said wall having continuous creased fold lines extendingobliquely from the'upper outer corners of said-wings to the lower edge of said lower wall.

lowe'rwall respectively; said wings and lower 5. A return envelope blank, comprising up-.

(per and lower rectangular body walls of equal size adapted to be folded one on the other, side wings formed asfoldableend extensions of said upper wall and each of a length exceedingone-half the length of said upper wall, foldable endflaps on saidlower wall, sealing flaps on the upper edge of said upper wall and the lower edge of said lower wall respectively,and a locking tab on the lower edge of one of said wings; said wings and lower wall having continuous creased fold lines extending obliquely from'the upper outer corners of said wings to the lower edge of said lower wall and intersecting at a point above said lower edge, and said lower sealing flap having reversely directedvintersecting creased fold lines continuous with the lower ends of said first-named fold lines.

' BEATRICE F. BARTSCH.

over said triangular wall and at their lower edges adhered to said end flaps.

3. An envelope of the type described, com

prising front and back body walls, side wings formed as end extensions of said front wall and each of a length exceeding one-half the length of said front wall,-narrow end flaps on said back wall, a locking tab on the lower edge of one of said side wings, and sealing flaps on the respective upper edges of said walls; said back wall, withits end flaps and sealing flap folded inwardly thereon, being folded on itself on intersecting oblique fold lines to thereby form a triangular wall of double thickness and of less height than said front wall, said wings being folded inwardly over said triangular wall with their free ends in overlapping relation and at their lower edges adhered to said end flaps, and said looking tab extending across the lower edge of the envelope and adhered tothe front" wall thereof.

4. A return envelope blank, comprising upper and lower rectangular body walls adapted to be folded one on the other, side wings I formed as foldable end extensions of said 

